Did You Survive the Festive Season?

Although the festive season is over for many of us, it’s effects on our health and well-being can linger.

Below are some handy tips which may help prepare you for the next round!

Reducing Your Christmas Expenses

For many of us, Christmas is an exciting time of year and we all look forward to some extra days off work. Unfortunately, Christmas can also be a very expensive time of year, bring a lot of emotional stress for some people, and add on those extra kilos we have worked hard all year to lose. Adding to this, our environment is put under excess pressure as well with the over use of single use items.

Most second hand stores have an excess in beautiful materials. These can be a great idea for wrapping presents, with an extra piece of material to use as a bow. The materials can then be recycled for the following year. This will not only save you money, it will also save the environment and your garbage bin will have more room.

Why not give family members and friends an early Christmas present such as a Christmas Hamper that you make yourself. Whether you make it with gourmet foods the family wouldn’t usually be able to afford, or hampers of fruit and veges and every day items so the family can save some money on their shopping bill, I am sure it will be very much appreciated.

If you are hosting Christmas at your house, rather than buy new decorations for the table be crafty and re-use jars with tea light candles, decorate the table with glasses of fresh herbs from the garden, peg the children’s artwork from the year around the house. Desserts can be chosen from a fresh fruit bowl and plates of watermelon go down well after a big meal. You can also ask everyone to bring a dish.

Reducing Stress

Although Christmas can be a beautiful time for many people for others it can be a very lonely time. Families live apart now, and many people end up spending Christmas alone. Why not invite an extra few people to your family Christmas? It will be gratefully appreciated. Sometimes just the invite will be healing for the person even if they don’t attend. And it tends to make it more fun for the whole family and hopefully keeps everyone in better behaviour. Family issues from the past can often arise over this time, so mixing up the table with a few new guests always helps. Check on your neighbours too and even just taking them a little hamper can be a nice gesture. The art of giving will make you feel so good that it will help to reduce your stress and see Christmas in a different light.

Now if you’re the one who does all the cooking and preparing for the whole family, it is time to hand out some more aprons and start delegating. There is no reason for you to spend another Christmas day completed exhausted by trying to do it all yourself. Whether it is asking others to bring a dish, or asking if they can come the next day or earlier to give you a hand. A lot of the time, others do want to help but the main cook won’t let them. Hand some of the other duties over so you too can have more fun on Christmas Day.

If you haven’t already done your Christmas shopping, then ensure you have a list and work out exactly what you want for each person and how much to spend. Gift vouchers are a great idea. Everyone has so much already. I give many of my family in Perth Hoyts Movies Vouchers and they love it so they can enjoy going to the movies during the year and often on boxing day.

During this busy time, just stop and take 5 minutes to yourself and concentrate on your breathing and close your eyes. This will bring about a sense of calm. Even if you are sitting in your car in your own driveway. On Christmas Day, you may need to go into a room and do this for a moment just to centre yourself, especially if emotions are running high.

Keeping Healthy

Now this is the time of the year that everyone’s routine goes out the window but it doesn’t have to be. It is actually the most important time of year to keep attending your exercise class or the gym. Try and keep your routine going as much as possible.

Alcohol needs to be kept in moderation. I know some people think that is impossible. But if you are a beer drinker, maybe try Fat Head which is a low carb beer. If you drink wine, mix it with mineral water and make a spritzer. Use your Bullet Juicer to make some Mock tails. Fresh berries and coconut juice is nice and then top up with mineral water. Mineral water with Elderflower Cordial and fresh mint leaves. Just get creative.

Ensure you stay hydrated with plenty of water. Opt for a tea or coffee after Christmas lunch rather than another alcoholic drink. Choose the fresh fruit salad for desert than one of the sweet cakes.

Use the Christmas break to enjoy the outdoors and get plenty of exercise and movement. If out, grab a juice from Boost Juice or one of the cafes. Take a platter to gatherings made of fresh vegetables and fruit.

DISCLAIMER:This is not to replace medical advice. Please speak to your Medical Practitioner if you have any concerns. Please contact your Naturopath if you would like to do a supervised detox.